It created more than £2million in direct spend and £1million in indirect expenditure, with more than half of this remaining within the Caithness economy.

The figures were produced on behalf of Highland Council and Mod organisers, An Comunn Gàidhealach, by David MacIntyre of Value8 Research and Consultancy.

He found that the return on the council’s grant of £133,000 was 9-to-1 and on EventScotland’s £36,000 31-to-1. The survey found that 23% of people said that they would definitely return to the area for a holiday.

Nearly four out of five visitors would not have taken another break in Scotland at that time had it not been for the Mod. It also revealed that 30% of Caithness competitors were taking part in the Mod for the first time.